A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 82:1-2

Positioned gracefully across the Book of Psalms is a string of seventy-one pearls, lovely beads of wisdom followed by the admonition SELAH which means, “Pause, think on these things, meditate.”   

Psalm 82:1-2 “God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the 'gods':  How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?”  Selah.

Meditation

We read the paper, watch the news, and have to ask, “What's happening in America that, under the guise of tolerance and freedom of speech, wickedness is approved?"  Our courts uphold the right to promote child pornography, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, homosexuality, and more. 

Why does God allow evil on this earth? I can't presume to answer that. However, in speaking of his own sin, David may have given us a clue in Psalm 51 when he said, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." 

When God judges . . . .

There’s a new day coming, and a higher court with God as presiding judge.  When he calls the great assembly to order, there will be a full-scale examination of the books.  The just will be vindicated; the unjust will be prosecuted to the full extent of God’s law.

In the meantime, hang on . . . and pray for those in authority over us, that they may have the wisdom of Solomon's court in exposing fruitless deeds of darkness.

SELAH

Look up: II Timothy 3:1-7; Psalm 51:4; Acts 5:29; I Timothy 2:1-2; Ephesians 5:11

A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 24:3-6

Positioned gracefully across the Book of Psalms is a string of seventy-one pearls, lovely beads of wisdom followed by the admonition SELAH which means, “Pause, think on these things, meditate.”

Psalm 24:3-6 “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah.”

Meditation:

Who gets into God’s holy place? The innocent, those with clean hands and pure hearts, those who seek God’s face. The innocent will receive God’s blessing.

How many innocent people do you know? Based on Psalms 14 and 53, there is no one who does good, not even one. If only the innocent get into God’s holy place, heaven must be pretty empty. Right?

Wrong. Heaven is filled with people who never could have made it based on their good works. They did the one and only thing that could purify their hands and hearts—they sought the face of God and found it in Jesus Christ (for in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form). Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! And in that identification, they received righteousness and blessing . . . and a ticket to heaven!

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 14:3; 53:3; Colossians 2:9; John 1:29; 1 Peter 2:24